ELCA NEWS SERVICE
February 1, 2006
Lutheran Men in Mission Ships Thousands of Bibles to Men's Ministries
06-015-FI
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutheran Men in Mission (LMM), the men's
ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA),
shipped nearly 6,000 Bibles in January to the organization's
representatives in the church's 65 synods, according to Doug
Haugen, LMM director. Each synod will be able to use six Bibles
in each of 15 congregations to start or restart men's ministries.
LMM placed almost 6,000 copies of "The Master Builders Bible
for Men," featuring a Men's Ministry Leaders Supplement, into the
hands of six men in each of about 1,000 ELCA congregations in
2002 and 2003, Haugen said. The supplement is a 32-page, step-by-
step guide to help congregational leaders build an effective
men's ministry.
The Master Builders Bible for Men is a special edition of
the Serendipity Bible, which is designed to facilitate small-
group study of the Bible in ways that are not threatening for the
novice and yet challenging for the veteran student.
"This effort was so successful a few years ago, that we have
made a commitment to start 1,000 new men's ministries a year for
the next three years by distributing the Master Builders Bible
for Men to leaders," Haugen said.
An LMM representative in each ELCA synod will pick 15
congregations to receive complimentary Bibles. Up to six leaders
in each congregation will be given Bibles to assist them in their
men's ministry. Additional copies of The Master Builders Bible
for Men are available through Augsburg Fortress, the ELCA's
publishing ministry.
"We have found that this is a great way for our synod
leaders to connect with congregational men's ministry leaders,"
Haugen said, urging any interested ELCA congregation to contact
its synod LMM representative.
The Bible distribution program has been good for LMM, Haugen
said. "We have become known for our Bible, and that's a great
thing to be known for," he said.
But Haugen is quick to add that the program is a greater
benefit for the men, the congregations and the whole church.
"When men encounter Christ through an effective men's ministry,
every area of congregational life benefits," said an LMM
promotion.
The program was made possible through donations from
individual men and from congregational and synod men's
ministries.
-- -- --
The Lutheran Men in Mission home page is at
http://www.ELCA.org/LMM/ on the ELCA Web site. The "contact us"
page includes a list of synod LMM representatives.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
